Culturally, in most parts of Ghana women do not own land even though they form a good percentage of agriculture workforces. The lack of access to land is making it difficult for the women to engage in commercial agriculture. Also, because of lack of resources, they do not have access to hired labor and tractor services.

They struggle on their small farms alone, hence their engagement in subsistence farming. Furthermore, lack of market research and information, limits women farmers to market opportunities, as they are confined to local markets where prices are generally lower than in urban markets.

The Volta region has recently emerged as an area for focus in agricultural production. Available statistics show that the region makes a mammoth contribution to the nation’s food basket. This forms part of the reasons for Agrihouse Foundation and partners’ decision to pitch tent with the Volta Region for the maiden edition of the WOMEN IN FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL LEADERSHIP FORUM & EXPO (WOFAGRIC 2019) and the GOLD IN THE SOIL AWARDS.
Billed under the theme, “Women! Key Partners in Shaping Agribusiness.” the Women in Food and Agric Leadership Forum (WOFAGRIC) & The Gold in the Soil Awards, will take place from Wednesday, June 12th -Thursday, June 13th, 2019 at the Stevens Hotel, Volta Region. It is expected to move to a different region every year, so all women can embrace and leverage on the platform.

While emphasis on women in agriculture has largely focused on the Northern Region in recent years, the partners considers other regions including the Volta Region an ‘unsung hero’ that has rather unjustifiably endured underwhelming attention despite the impact of their industrious women in the agricultural value chain and are confident that WOFAGRIC and the GOLD IN THE SOIL AWARDS  will pay a key role in projecting women in agriculture in each and every region it gets to and become a sustainable platform  for women in agriculture to have a share of voice, share ideas, train and empower each other,  discuss issues pertinent to women in the industry, promote by showcasing through exhibitions, the works, products and services of women in Agric. The event will focus on Smallholder Women, beginner agribusinesses and women achievers in Agriculture, whiles building capacity, alongside the 2day event.

The GOLD IN THE SOIL AWARDS, which climaxes WOFAGRIC will also pay tribute to the efforts and contribution by women, young female ‘agripreneurs’, female students, physically challenged women, agricultural corporate leaders, innovators, extension officers, climate-smart agric champions and traditional leaders for their roles toward ensuring food security, poverty alleviation, employment creation and ultimately helping the economy.

ACTIVITIES FOR THE 2-DAY EVENT
Activities lined up to ensure that participants benefit optimally from the maiden edition of the initiative include:
– Leadership Training
– Mentorship & Guidance Dialogue
– Panel Discussion on Key Issues affecting women in Agribusiness
– Focused Training programmes for women seeking to venture into agriculture
– Empowerment Talk
– Exhibitions
– Documentary and Awards (Gold in the Soil Awards)

Key topics that will be discussed include:
1. How to start and manage agricultural production and agribusiness
2. The essence of Marketing and Branding in Agribusiness
3. How can women use agricultural production and agribusiness to bring solutions to Ghana’s economic, social and environmental challenges?
4. Climate smart agricultural approach and practises
5. Farming for Export, Promotion and Development

Benefits
WOFAGRIC and the GOLD IN THE SOIL AWARDS seeks to recognize pioneers and trailblazers, the women who push the boundaries along the value chain. From the days of Adam to Tetteh – Quarshie, men have been considered to be at the forefront of agriculture. Women who have dared to challenge this stereotype have been looked at in a not-so- encouraging light. Though there has been a lot of work to increase visibility of women achievers in all industries, women still need and want to see other women role models.
Identifying exceptional women who others can relate to via women-only awards is a step in providing the much-needed examples currently lacking in many traditional awards. The end goal would be to have a level playing field among the genders but currently, we do not. Women are outnumbered by men in the executive talent pool in almost all industries for a number of culturally- bias reasons.
The organizers believe there has to be a paradigm shift in this regard by projecting women achievers in agribusiness. It also aims to promote networking among women achievers in agribusiness and propel them to do more collectively.

Participation will cut across Smallholder Women in Agriculture, rural women in Agriculture, youth in Agriculture, women achievers and agripreneurs in Agriculture whiles building capacity, alongside the 2-day event.

WOFAGRIC will unfold under three (3) main segments thus:
a) WOFAGRIC Exhibitions of Agriculture production and value added products, improved technologies and everything Agriculture.
The exhibition will bring together all the relevant women actors within the sector with the potential to stimulate increased staple crop productivity among small holder farmers including women. It will focus on Innovation bringing together buyers and sellers of the latest technology of products and services to make your business successful.

b) The WOFAGRIC Mentorship Dialogue, workshops and conference
This will be organized alongside the two-day exhibition to help build capacity of women farmers, entrepreneurs and women in agriculture.
It also aims at providing a platform to exchange best practices and share
valuable lessons learnt in handling and overcoming challenges in agribusiness.
It also seeks to facilitate dialogue between various actors in the Agribusiness space among women. It will present the platform to catalyze actions and refine their interventions in order to better respond to the needs; Advocate for inclusive value chains and agricultural market systems to support women in agribusiness.

c) The WOFAGRIC Awards (Gold in the Soil Awards)
Gold in the Soil Awards: The awards sessions aim at recognizing and rewarding outstanding women in Agriculture. A documentary on activities and impact of these women will be produced to be to be aired on TV and social media platforms to showcase the works of these women and an award ceremony, organized to celebrate them

The Awards will have fourteen (14) categories:

1. Passion for the Farm Awards: The award recognizes those who have achieved excellence in their field or demonstrated an extraordinary contribution to the agribusiness industry. This category targets awarding women who are farming (production level) in their own right or in a partnership. These women should have made essential contribution(s) to the success and profitability of the farm dovetailing into creation of jobs and improving the economy of the country.

2. She-innovates Award: This category seeks to look out for a woman who looked at the community in relation to the farm, identified challenges and saw immense opportunity through diversification and eventually makes a success story out of that business idea by adding value through creating, innovation or invention.

3. Climate-Smart Women Project Award: This award will provide recognition for the efforts of a group of women or a woman-led organization, implementing an outstanding project in agriculture by adopting a climate smart approach and practices that supports in the transformation, development and is sustainably increasing agricultural productivity in the community. This project must be seen to be solving a real challenge and create tangible results.

4. Woman in Extension Services Award: This award will also provide recognition to women, either in the public or private sector, contributing effortlessly through training, capacity building, advocacy, to encourage the adaptation of best practices by farmers, thereby contributing significantly to the empowerment and socio-economic development of the society and the country as a whole

5. The Super Woman Award: This special category goes to a physically challenged woman, whose role, works and passion for agriculture, is contributing largely to community development, food security, poverty alleviation, job creation and economic growth in the Agric sector.

6. Star in Ag Award (Woman Agripreneur Award): This special recognition goes out to a young woman, already with great achievements in the agribusiness industry and inspiring her community, the country and putting the country on the International map.

7. Royal Agro: Through this award, we identify a traditional leader (Queen mother), who is into agriculture herself and her personal commitment to see women in agriculture in her community develop and thrive, is helping them in all ways possible through access to land, training, social impact programs and advocacy.

8. Diamond in the Rough Award: This award will unearth the works, efforts, contribution and potentials of a promising woman, leading the agro space in her own way, though not seen or recognized, but has the capabilities to be outstanding and be a shining agriculture / agribusiness star.

9. Feed to Food Livestock, Poultry & Fisheries Awards: This is to a woman with great determination and integrity who has continuously demonstrated a positive role in livestock, poultry or fisheries and has an unwavering commitment to succeed in this sector. This person should have made a series of significant selfless contributions with a long-lasting benefit to the Livestock and Fisheries sector.
10. The Change Champion Award: This category goes to the professional woman, whose ongoing effort, passion for her job, contribution and dedication to her work in the agro space, is contributing significantly to corporate internal change, whiles making a national impact.
11. Lady of The Region Export Award: This category recognizes and rewards the region’s most successful and innovative woman exporter, regardless of the size of the business or the export sales

12. Development Partner Award: This award recognizes the efforts of an International and local organization, whose works centers on agriculture and in particular, towards the development of women in the community, encouraging to adopt best practices, whiles adding value.

13. Princess Carla Award: This award recognizes the efforts of a dedicated woman, who employs all the standards and best practices in her agro business and in her on way, engages, inspire and train other women in her community to take agriculture as a business and adopt best practices to enhance productivity and increase yield

14. Gold in the Soil Award: This is the ultimate award of WOFAGRIC which seeks to appreciate the outstanding achievements of a woman producing along the entire agricultural value chain (from production through to processing, branding and marketing). Also measuring and recognizing the impact of her establishment to her community.

Criteria for Selection
The awards are open to women aged 18 and above from every district in Ghana. There can be direct entries or one could be nominated by friends or family by filling in an application form online or picking a form from the offices of Agrihouse foundation, WIAD office or the National Farmers and Fishermen Award Winners Association of Ghana office (NFFAWAG)

Nomination package must include:
1. A typed profile, not to exceed 500 words, describing the agricultural work of the nominee and in their community.
2. Two nominators, providing letters of recommendation (not to exceed one page each) and contact information.
3. The nominee’s contact information.
WOFAGRIC forms part of efforts to empower women, promote their works, expand their horizon, recognize and award their works and further mentor and inspire other women to venture into Agribusiness.
This year’s event is being organized in collaboration with Agrihouse Foundation, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Women in Food and Agriculture Development (WIAD), National Farmers and Fishermen Award Winners Association and the Volta Regional Coordinating Council.

RMG Ghana Limited, a leading agricultural Input dealership company gave Agric students in eleven tertiary institutions across the country practical orientation on their Livingfields Vegetable Farm at the just ended Agric Students Career Guidance and Mentorship Dialogue (Ag-Stud)

The program which was organised by Agrihouse Foundation in partnership with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture brought a number of stakeholders along the value chain of agribusiness to interact with students studying Agriculture in the various tertiary institutions across the country over at a three-day bootcamp.

The day one of the program saw students taken on a field trip to RMG Ghana’s Livingfields at Asutsuare in the Eastern Region of Ghana for practical orientation on how students can find a place in agribusiness after graduating.

At the field, participants were led by Farm Manager of Livingfields, Mr. Dennins Nkrumah

Introducing them to the RMG Livingfields Program, Mr. Nkrumah indicated that the project which covers a 100-acre plot of land seeks to engage and prepare graduate farmers who have the interest to go into agribusiness for the job market, either as quality employees of existing agric firms or successful entrepreneurs in the sector

“When they come, practically we have something on the ground and so we are going to harmonise theory with practice and also organise lecture series from specialized areas to ensure that, an individual after staying in livingfields gets the capability of replicating everything leant and go further top start business”

He also indicated that “the Livingfields also serves as research grounds for determining the validity and efficacy of products before the company makes them available to the market.”

Taking into consideration the kind of harsh condition in which farmers operate, he said, “the Livingfields has been built with those conditions factored in so that after inputs are passed from the field, they do not fall short when sold to the market”.

One of the student asked why the field was not blocked in typical research field fashion to ensure accuracy of data.  

To this, Mr. Martin Nartey (Commercial manager) indicated that the research was not one meant to necessarily collate data for the public but to test the effectiveness of input to guide RMG Ghana in their sales and recommendations to customers and so did not necessarily require blocking.

After the Livingfields experience, Managing Director of RMG Ghana, Mr. Williams Kotey lectured participant on the theme: ‘What Agric Industry Players Expect from New Graduates’.

He began his presentation by outlining the various business opportunities in the agribusiness chain from production, processing, through to the final consumer. He also emphasized on the role of information technology (I.T) in the agribusiness processes in production, marketing etc.

“There are so many opportunities in agribusiness and so what matters is graduate farmers identifying their passion, understanding their competence and what gives them satisfaction because the value chain is long to meet such aspirations”

“There are opportunities in postharvest, warehousing, technology and even teaching and so it all depends on what the graduate farmer wants” he added.

With the goal of preparing the graduate for the job market, Mr. Kotey indicated that “employees are attracted to job seekers who have a clear idea of what they have to offer their organisation and therefore know their worth by way of remuneration”.

RMG not seeking to be employer but to develop talents worth employing.

According to him, the experience will not only develop the interest of students in agribusiness, but also make them attach importance to what they are taught in school and apply them.

“We are grateful to Agrihouse Foundation for the opportunity given our students to experience the practical aspect of what we teach them in the classroom”

 “We will encourage them to put everything they leant into practice and replicate everything they have learnt on campus and continue to conduct tracer studies to find out how they are applying what” they have learnt even after completing the cause”

He called on Agrihouse to expand the program to give participation opportunities to more students because it will play a key role in drawing graduate into agribusiness.

Since time immemorial, hunger has managed to stay in vogue despite the colossal benefit of agriculture. Despite plentiful harvest that is often recorded around the world, a myriad of factors have ensured that a significant number of people worldwide have hunger staring them in the face.

Today, the world is rallying a united front to fashion out a practical solution to address this challenge – along with expanding agricultural land and intensifying crop yields – the world is also relying on global agricultural trade to meet the nutritional demands of growing world population.

While this is a welcome development, human-induced climate change has recently come to the fore as a budding threat to world food security.

According to recent studies, climate change will affect global markets by reshaping agricultural trading patterns. Some regions may not be able to battle climate impacts on agriculture, in which case production of key commodities will decline or shift to new regions.

Increasingly, negative impacts of climate change on agricultural production have preoccupied farmers and decision-makers across the world. The concern is increasingly shared by governments including those most hostile to the advancement of climate change mitigation.

Even the United States, which has opted out of the Paris Agreement , acknowledged at last year’s G7 summit that climate change was one of a number of threats to “our capacity to feed a growing population and needed to be taken into serious consideration”.

The UN median population projection suggests that the world population will reach some 10 billion in 2050. Between 2000 and 2010, roughly 66% of the daily energy intake per person, about 7,322 kilojoules, was derived from four key commodities: wheat, rice, coarse grains and oilseeds. However, the most recent UN report on food security and nutrition shows that world hunger is on the rise again and scientists believe this is due to climate change.
Agricultural production is significantly affected by climate change. This is because climate change and the implementation of a carbon mitigation policy have different effects on regions’ agricultural production and economy.
Recently, it has emerged that, regardless of the carbon policy scenarios, Sub-Saharan Africa will become the greatest importer of coarse grains, rice, soybeans and wheat by 2050. This significant change in Sub-Saharan Africa imports is driven by the fact that the largest increase in human population by 2050 will occur in this region, with a significant increase in food demand.

A recent report published by the European Commission about the challenges of global agriculture in a climate change context by 2050 highlights that
…emission mitigation measures (i.e. carbon pricing) have a negative impact on primary agricultural production […] across all models.
However, the report does not mention the technological costs to buffer (or adapt to) the effect of climate change on agriculture.
Changes in the agricultural system due to climate are inevitable. It is time to create a sense of urgency about our agricultural vulnerabilities to climate change, and begin seriously minimizing risk.

The Ghanaian Situation

Climate change is a global phenomenon. This means Ghana, like other countries of the world have to join in the collective fight to mitigate the often expansive effect of climate change.

In Ghana, the effects of climate change are becoming too obvious to miss. Irregular rain pattern and a consequent drop in crop yield are some of the signs that have confirmed the significant impact of climate change in Ghana.

But in a country where more than 60 per cent of farmers are illiterates, it will take some effort to drive home the need to give up certain traditional practices in favour of progressive best practices that have proven apt in many instances.

The Ghanaian media is an undeniable ally of the agriculture industry. At the height of the malignant galamsey menace that literally threatened the best of the country’s arable land, the media stood firm, pushed leadership to act and monitored progress to ensure that the wanton destruction of the Ghanaian environment was checked.

The important role played by the vibrant media make it an indispensable partner for the onslaught to mitigate the effects of climate change, particularly on agriculture.

The local agric industry is highly portentous, with a direct influence on the country’s GDP. This means that no effort should be spared if we will continually savour the monumental benefits derivable from agriculture.

As many current media footages portray, the menacing effect of climate change appears like a force in full swing.in Ghana we must be thankful that we have not suffered any climate induced mishap of national proportion. This should however spur us to put in place effectual policies and programs that will help improve the environment, while keeping potentially devastating effects of climate change at bay.

Agriculture represents more to Ghana than an industry. It is the lifeblood of Ghana and must therefore be protected from within and without. Currently, climate change has proven to be a threat that requires rapt attention, It therefore behooves on all agric- industry stakeholders, particularly the government to work collectively with others to ensure that agriculture is not swept into an abyss by the marauding wind of climate change.

While at it, we must also make effort to inculcate best practices from around the world that have proven efficacious. This way, we can lessen the effect of climate change and safeguard the local agriculture industry to ensure more jobs, food and a consequently boost the economy.

Africa has more than 60 per cent of the world’s fertile but uncultivated land and the continent imports $35 billion to $50 billion of food per year, reports the Alliance for the Green Revolution in Africa. This narrative presents a bitter-sweet picture because while the continent’s potential is too obvious to sidestep, the youth have struggled to fully appreciate the immense opportunities inherent in agriculture.

According to a recent report by the African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET) in 2017, the agenda to attract educated young people into farming (agriculture) “has to focus on the challenges that discourage them from farming (agriculture).”

This calls for practical effort that deliberately engages the youth as the focal point of a reawakening designed to ignite, nurture and point agric-students to the limitless window of opportunities presented by agriculture.

AG-STUD Africa (Agric students Career Guidance and Mentorship Dialogue Bootcamp), represents the best example yet of how to effectively prepare the youth to identify and take advantage of exciting career opportunities that will put them on the path to prosperity.

AG-STUD Africa 2019 is a-three-day student capacity building boot-camp scheduled for Thursday, February 21 – Saturday, February 23, and intended to specifically target students of agricultural science and beginner agribusinesses. The maiden edition of the programme came off in 2018, in Accra with an impressive turnout and a generally positive outcome. Ghanaian and foreign Agric-institutions numbering 320,  took part in the first edition held in Accra.

Agrihouse Foundation, the organisers of the event is an ardent proponent of Ghanaian agriculture and its ability to cause far-reaching societal advancement. That is why for the second time in as many years, the firm has again partnered with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Intervelle and the J.A Kuffour Foundation to roll-out what promises to be a bigger, better and more impactful AG-STUD Africa 2019.

This year’s event has been packaged to consolidate the significant gains made during the maiden edition.

“Last year was great. The feedback was overwhelming and so we are poised to deliver our best effort yet.

We have critically reviewed the programme modules to include practical sessions that we believe will go a long way to ensure that we groom the next generation of agro professionals who will rely on a cocktail of zest, tact and expertise to ensure that Ghana and in extension, Africa realises the huge potential in her agriculture sector.” she avowed.

This year, participants are expected to be taken through a sequence of carefully thought-out program-modules that will reinforce their interest and love for the agricultural discipline and consequently pave a clear path for rewarding future careers in the industry.

Billed under the theme, “Growing Futures- Enabling the Agri-Youth”, this year’s edition of the programme has been designed to unfold under the following program-modules:

Mentorship dialogue

Unlike other career paths, an attempt at pitching tent in the agriculture industry could be a lonely one. This is because for many, agriculture doesn’t have the allure that is associated with other supposed prestigious careers.

This situation has been identified by organisers as a snag that smothers the dreams of many agric-students before their dreams have a realistic chance of seeing the light of day. This apparent disincentive has led the organizers to include a programme-module that is designed to provide students with an opportunity to interact with seasoned industry personalities who will act as mentors by sharing relevant experiences that will also give students the opportunity to ask and receive illumination on niggling questions about career dynamics in the agriculture industry.

Business Plan Development Challenge

A practical training session designed to teach students the rudiments of investor friendly business plan development has also been included to ensure that participants are adequately equipped to take advantage of funding opportunities.

The competitive nature of this module will hope to encourage innovative thinking among the participants. Students who excel will be awarded to serve as an incentive.

Agri-career Educational tour

 To help participants gain practical insight into the operational intricacies of renowned industry-firms, this year’s edition of the program has been structured to include an exciting trip that will see participant’s tour the operational facilities of some firms within the agriculture value chain to give them first hand feel of what goes on in these establishments. This is expected to expose students to first-hand information on what it takes to work in such establishments and their role in the development of the industry.

The firms earmarked for the field tour this year are Golden exotics, Living Field, Yara Terminal, RST, Dream Arce Farms and Interplast.

Career opportunities and motivational discussions

To stir up the interest of the participants, the programme outline has a segment that will see industry stalwarts and other prominent personalities take turns to discuss and make presentations on how to identify and seize career opportunities in the agric sector.

Rousing sessions detailing the inspiring tales of successful start-ups will be highlighted to encourage and deepen the interest of the participants in agriculture and point them to the endless opportunities available in the industry.

Initiatives and Invention Exhibition

Students participating in Ag-stud 2019 will be given the opportunity to exhibit their innovations and inventions. An exhibition to showcase participant’s innovative ideas will be featured throughout the duration of the event to encourage students to display innovative ideas that hitherto will lie unexplored.

Students who excel in this programme module will receive incentives that will further embolden them to move their inventions several notches higher, with hope that it becomes useful to the local industry in the near-future.

Military drills

To emphasize the importance of discipline, team cohesion and physical fitness, this edition of the programme has been structured to feature military-styled drills that will engage participating students. Arrangements have been concluded to have military instructors who will work with the participants in a friendly atmosphere to ensure that exciting memories savoured by participants will endure a life time.

AG-STUD 2019 is a timely intervention that has come to stay. From an impactful maiden edition, the program has become a vital cog in national efforts aimed at encouraging the youth to make bold decisions to seek a career in the country’s budding agriculture sector. Providing a platform that seeks to comprehensively nurture agric-students through mentorship of seasoned personalities, is certain to go considerable lengths to increase youth participation in the industry and consequently develop agriculture.

About the Organizers

Foremost agro firm, Agrihouse Foundation is the brain behind AGSTUD. As part of its efforts to galvanize the youth to take center-stage in the country’s budding agriculture sector, the pro-agriculture firm has identified and prioritized the need to have a win-them-young- approach to agriculture education in the country and indeed, the African continent.

Agrihouse Foundation is a non-governmental agricultural social impact, interventional, project management and capacity building organization, with a special focus on the promotion of, and changing perception of agriculture through tactical programs and initiatives for students, women, farmers, farming associations, agribusinesses and the entire actors within the value chain.

The foundation’s initiatives focuses on empowerment, grooming, leadership, best practices, management training programs, etc. that leads to effecting positive change in the mind, field, economy and translate to the community.

AGSTUD Africa is here to turn the tide in favour of agriculture through a deliberate attempt to make the youth the primary force for propelling the industry. Through an all-inclusive youth agric participation, young agro professionals will be compelled to stay-on in agric-enterprises instead of continuing the uninspiring trajectory where brilliant and promising agric- students diverge into other areas of endeavour thought to be more prestigious.

AG-STUD 2019 will camp, train and mentor selected participants from about 25 institutions including KNUST, UDS, University of Ghana, University of Cape-coast, Kwadaso Agric College, Damongo Agric College, Fair River Institute, Animal Health, AsuanzI Farm Institute, Ejura Agric College, Adidome Agric College, KITA, selected Senior High School students, beginner agribusinesses and small agribusiness start-ups across the country.  The event will be facilitated by individual experts from the agricultural sector, as well as other relevant sectors such as the military.

Some 320 participants selected from 20 institutions in Ghana attended the maiden edition with H.E former President J.J Rawlings in attendance.

The Agric Students Career Guidance and Mentorship Dialogue Bootcamp (AG-STUD Africa 2019), is collectively sponsored by, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, JAK Foundation, Petrosol, Far East Mercantile, Interplast, OCP, LaBianca, RMG, Omnifert, Blue Skies, Intervelle, B-diet, Virgin Squeeze, Field Ready, Bel Beverages, Indomie, Bisdo Events and Agro Volta, B. Kaakyire Agro Chemical.

ALBERTA NANA AKYAA AKOSA

Lead Consultant and Founder – Agrihouse Communications and Agrihouse Foundation